Why Adult Literacy Matters

By State Rep. Jeannie Darneille

March, 2008

Imagine not being able to read. Not being able to read the messages your child's teacher sends home. Not being able to read a contract. Not being able to read to your children. Not being able to complete a job application. This is the situation that faces nearly one million Washington adults who lack a high school diploma, or cannot speak English well enough to function in the workplace. Half of America's adults lack the literacy skills needed for the 21st century.

Adult literacy is a pivotal, and yet poorly addressed, goal. It impacts financial stability, family prosperity and well-being, public safety, and unemployment. State government lacks understanding of the extent, the causes and the implications of adult illiteracy in Washington, so we are bound to lack the tools to address it.

This year, I have introduced a bill in the Washington State Legislature to study the extent and implications of illiteracy on families and state systems, leading to a public awareness campaign about adult literacy.

The impetus for this bill has come from very personal experience: I have spent four hours a week since June as a volunteer tutor for Tacoma Community House helping a 46-year-old single parent of five children try to learn to read. He managed to get through the 11th grade without passing a single class. He worked most of his adult life in laborer positions. But, even his work in the home furnishing moving industry ended due to his inability to read.

Now, as he ages, he's intent upon getting help with his learning disability and I've had the good fortune of being matched with him. I'm learning in our twice-weekly sessions about the amazing coping skills he and other people who are illiterate must use to exist in our society. And I've learned more about the extent of the problem in my community, where up to 35% of adults are in the lowest two levels of literacy, and will have difficulty even filling out an application without errors.

In 1996 Portland State University released a report showing that 35% of Washington adults function in the two lowest literacy levels, meaning that they cannot carry a complete conversation in English about a topic of general interest or provide background information on a social security card application. These students usually have a strong desire to enhance their lives through education and employment, yet must often navigate complex federal, state, local, and private systems alone.

In 2008, the Washington State Legislature voted to assess the extent, and impact of the problem, and to conduct a public information campaign to ensure that residents become aware of existing literacy related programs in their local communities, along with any necessary support services.

Today's knowledge based economy requires residents to invest in themselves through education and training. Our residents are our human capital. Imagine their experiences, if they are illiterate, in trying to be full members in our society. Adult literacy is a critical problem that our state must address and it will therefore be one of my top legislative priorities over the next few years.

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